Brian Shorter facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 28, 1968 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American / Italian |
| High school |
|
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 242 lb (110 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Pittsburgh (1987–1991) |
| NBA Draft | 1991 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1991–2010 |
| Career history | |
| 1991–1993 | Oostende |
| 1993 | Ginebra San Miguel |
| 1994 | Fort Wayne Fury |
| 1994 | Pau-Orthez |
| 1994–1995 | Andino |
| 1996 | Trieste |
| 1996 | Peñas Huesca |
| 1996–1997 | Andino |
| 1997–1998 | Black Hills Posse |
| 1998 | Guaiqueríes de Margarita |
| 1998 | Trieste |
| 1998 | Virtus Ragusa |
| 1998–1999 | Cordivari Roseto |
| 1999–2000 | Viola Reggio Calabria |
| 2000 | CB Girona |
| 2001–2002 | Virtus Ragusa |
| 2002–2003 | Andrea Costa Imola |
| 2003–2004 | JuveCaserta |
| 2004–2007 | Firenze Basket |
| 2007–2008 | Basket Massafra |
| 2008–2009 | Catanzaro |
| 2009–2010 | Gorizia |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Brian William Shorter (born November 28, 1968) is a former professional basketball player from America and Italy. He played basketball for about twenty years in different leagues across Europe.
Contents
Brian Shorter's High School Basketball Journey
Brian Shorter grew up in Philadelphia. He went to Simon Gratz High School with his older brother, Rodney. Brian was always considered one of the best young basketball players.
As a freshman, he was a key player, scoring about 15 points per game. He earned honors for his strong play. In his second year, he was named ESPN Sophomore of the Year, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds. His team, Simon Gratz, played well but lost in the semifinals to Southern High School, which had another future star, Lionel Simmons. Brian was still recognized as one of the best players in the city.
In his junior year, Brian was even better, averaging almost 32 points, 16 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Gratz again lost to Southern in the semifinals. Brian was named the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year.
After three years at Simon Gratz, Brian had scored 1,869 points. This was close to Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia record. However, Brian was having trouble with his grades. To improve his schoolwork while still playing top-level basketball, he moved to Oak Hill Academy. This was a special boarding school known for its basketball program.
In 1987, Brian decided to play for Pitt in college. He worked hard in both school and basketball. In his senior year, he averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds. He was chosen as a Parade All-American and a McDonald's All-American. In the 1987 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, he was the top scorer with 24 points. People often compared his strong and mobile playing style to that of famous player Bernard King.
Brian Shorter's College Basketball Career
Brian had planned to play for Pitt, but his test scores were too low for a college scholarship. This meant he couldn't play in his first year, according to NCAA rules. Instead of going to a different school, he decided to train on his own. He focused on getting stronger, improving his ball handling, and practicing his jumpshots.
After a year of not playing, Brian finally started his college career in the 1988–89 season. He quickly made a big impact at Pitt. He started every game and led his team in scoring and rebounding. He was also one of the top players in his conference for both points and rebounds. He was named Big East Freshman of the Year and was part of the Big East First Team. He also received an honorable mention as an NCAA All-American.
In his second season, Brian led the Big East conference in scoring, averaging 20.6 points per game. He was also third in rebounds. In his third and final year of college, his playing time and statistics went down a little. He finished that season with 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Throughout his college career, Brian was very good at drawing fouls from opponents, which meant he got to shoot a lot of free throws.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–89 | Pitt | 30 | 30 | 34.9 | .600 | .500 | .715 | 9.6 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 19.6 |
| 1989–90 | Pitt | 29 | 29 | 36.8 | .532 | .000 | .662 | 9.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 20.6 |
| 1990–91 | Pitt | 33 | 32 | 25.9 | .473 | .000 | .769 | 6.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 13.6 |
| Career | 92 | 91 | 32.3 | .538 | .100 | .710 | 8.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 17.8 |
Brian Shorter's Professional Basketball Career
After college, Brian Shorter was eligible for the 1991 NBA draft, but no NBA team chose him. So, he decided to play basketball overseas. His first team was Oostende in Belgium, where he played for two seasons. In 1993, he finished the season playing for Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippines.
In 1994, he joined the Fort Wayne Fury in the Continental Basketball Association in the United States, but only played two games. After a short time with a French team, Pau-Orthez, Brian signed with Andino in Argentina. There, he was the best rebounder in the league, averaging 13.2 rebounds per game.
In 1996, he played a few games in the Italian league. Throughout his career, he played many seasons in Italy, in both the top and lower divisions. He also played in the top Spanish league, Liga ACB, for Peñas Huesca in the 1995–96 season. He then played again for Andino in Argentina and for the Black Hills Posse in the IBA.
Brian played for several more teams in Italy, including Roseto, where he averaged 18.7 points per game over 24 games. He finally ended his long basketball career in 2010, at the age of 42, playing for Gorizia in Italy.
See also
In Spanish: Brian Shorter para niños
